Drilling a cross hole

- B
- BobKellock
  
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posted
16 years ago

Wed, Aug 29, 2007 3:40 PM

For reasons not relevant to this problem I'm making a new hub for the steering wheel of my old banger.

The steering column is made of 1" OD x .73" bore mild steel tube. The part of the light alloy hub that fits to the steering column is 1.5" OD and bored 2.25" deep as a light push fit onto the steering column. The hub and column are cross drilled 5/16", about the middle of the bore, nominally diametrically. Flats are machined on the OD of the hub for seating the nut and bolt (actually a nice snug fitting stud and two dome nuts) that clamp the hub to the column.

The cross holes are appreciably off centre so I need to drill the new hub to match the holes in the column but I don't mind having a bit of clearance between the end of the column and the bottom of the bore.

Any bright ideas?

Bob

- D
- Don Young
  
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posted
16 years ago

Thu, Aug 30, 2007 3:25 AM

You might consider locating and drilling one hole as exact as possible, then installing the hub with that hole aligned and drill thru for the second hole. Another way would be to rotate the holes 90 degrees and just drill new holes thru the whole thing.

Don Young (USA)

- C
- Charles Ping
  
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posted
16 years ago

Thu, Aug 30, 2007 3:43 PM

Bob

One suggestion that I have is to make two concentric sleeves - one that will slide over the column with a 1.5" OD and one that is an inch or so larger. Slice the two rings in half, clamp a half on each over the column and drill from the column cross hole through the two rings. Dissemble, clamp the outer ring over the new hub and drill one of the holes. Then you can mount the hub and column together and run the drill through to the other side.

The other method depends upon the use of precision and measuring the position of the hole relative to the side. And then replicating the precision on a mill or drill. Makes the effort of making two concentric sleeves seems sensible.......

c